This relates generally to electronic devices and, more particularly, to electronic devices with displays and ambient light sensors.
Electronic devices often include displays. For example, portable devices such as cellular telephones and tablet computers are often provided with touch screen displays.
Ambient light sensors are sometimes provided in devices with displays to allow the devices to monitor ambient lighting conditions. A user of a portable device may often move between dim and bright lighting environments such as when transitioning between indoor and outdoor environments. Ambient light sensor readings may be taken in this type of device so that automatic display brightness adjustments may be made. When an increase in ambient light level is detected, control circuitry within the device may automatically increase the brightness of the display in the device to compensate for the additional glare and brightness associated with a bright ambient environment. This allows a user to view content on the display without interruption. Similarly, when a decrease in ambient light level is detected, the control circuitry within the device may automatically lower display brightness to a level that is appropriate for dim ambient lighting conditions.
Challenges arise when mounting ambient light sensors in an electronic device. In conventional devices, ambient light sensors are mounted under a window in an inactive display border region. The inactive display border region contains an opaque masking layer that hides internal components in the device from view by a user. The ambient light sensor window is formed from an opening in the opaque masking layer.
The need to provide sufficient space for mounting the ambient light sensor in alignment with the ambient light sensor window may consume more space within a device than desired. For example, this type of mounting arrangement may make the width of the inactive border region larger than desired. Although an opening could be formed in a device housing to accommodate the ambient light sensor, this type of mounting location may not always adequately measure ambient light levels in the vicinity of the display.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved ambient light monitoring schemes for electronic devices.